A `Sensational' Spin on Austrian Elections

October 27, 1994

I would like to make two corrections to the editorial ``Austria for the Austrians,'' Oct. 13. First, the chairman of the Freedom Party, Jorg Haider, was not ``expelled by his colleagues from Austria's federal assembly in 1991.'' Rather, he had to resign as governor of the federal province of Carinthia, and has since been the floor leader of the Freedom Party in the Austrian Nationalrat (the first chamber).

Austrian Federal Chancellor Franz Vranitzky was not ``forced ... to resign and take a caretaker role until the new coalition is formed.'' Traditionally, every Austrian government has resigned immediately after the national elections. The swearing-in of a caretaker government after its resignation is even enshrined in our Constitution. The editorial gives this routine procedure sensational flavor that it does not deserve. Martin Eichtinger, Washington Embassy of Austria

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